94 



SQUABS FOR PROFIT 



cock (Bl meaning black and B blue), and 1150 a dun- 

 barred hen. These latter two again are from the same 

 nest. If we save more than one pair of squabs from a 

 given nest we note such fact on the margin of the 

 entry leaf of our record book. The egg first hatched 

 is usually a cock and the other a hen. This is not 

 an infallible rule, for sometimes there are two cocks in 

 the same nest, while at other times the opposite is true. 



FIG 36 METHOD OF PUTTING CLOSED BANDS ON YOUNG BIRDS 



But in about 90 per cent of cases the above rule will 

 apply. This very simple method of record keeping 

 serves the admirable purpose of preventing inbreeding, 

 as follows: The record indicates 1146 and 1147 ^^^ 

 brother and sister. They must therefore not be permit- 

 ted to mate. The hen, 1147, could safely be mated 

 with 1 149 or 1 1 48, as the record shows that all 

 three are from different nests. No. 1148 could be per- 

 mitted to mate with either 1147 o^" "SO- 



Neglect to keep a record so that the breeder may 

 know what he is doing has wrecked many squab plants 

 which were prosperous for a short time. When the 



